I, Michayla White, broke down and got an iPhone. An iPhone 4 to be exact. So, by some standards, I’m still “old school” when it comes to my phone. :)

Perhaps you’re shocked I didn’t already have one, or perhaps you’re shocked that I’ve survived this long without one… but, I have one now. And I have a couple of things to say about life with an iPhone.

1) I enjoy being connected. There is some form of security in feeling like if I need information, if I get lost, if I forget something, if I need to get in touch with someone, I always can now. Usually :)

2) I don’t like being connected all the time. The constant buzz or little chime of my phone is sometimes overwhelming. I need space from that. So I make space.

3) I get the addictive nature of these things, and it’s much different than my iPad. I don’t know if it’s the size, or the fact that I text most from my phone, or what it is, but I’m drawn to my iPhone in a much different way than I am to my iPad.

4) I love how I’ve been able to capture moments of my life for the past month that I’ve had my iPhone. The camera and video camera are always accessible, so I have been able to visually document a lot more of my life than I’ve normally been doing. When we have kids, this will probably be even more valuable.

5) I think it’s a keeper, though I’m learning I need to steward myself more with it.

Last night, I went for a walk. I brought my iPhone along because I wanted to work on my memory verses for work. So, I opened my YouVersion app, hit the audio play for Luke 2, and off I went. I got about 12 text messages, 3 Facebook notifications, and 7 emails on that walk. But I didn’t respond to any of them until after my walk was done. Why? Because I wanted to focus on what I set out to do. I wanted to just enjoy nature, enjoy the Word of God, and have peace. To disconnect for just a little bit.

So, I broke down, and got an iPhone. I’m really enjoying it. I’m thankful for it. It’s incredible. But it’s an incredible tool. I plan to keep it that way, and I’m trying to be purposeful in stewarding how I use it. There’s too many wonderful things in life I could miss if I failed to steward my focus, attention, and time.

A few weeks ago, I (Michayla White) got an email from a coworker letting a group of us know that his daughter was going to be in a thing called the 24 Musical. Essentially, two young men had the idea of, “What would happen if we held auditions, had people show up at 7 pm on a Friday night, cast them, rehearsed for 24 hours, and put on a show on Saturday at 7 pm?” Sounds cool, right? It is! But why would people want to do that? Or want to come see it?

That’s where the power comes in. The reason behind the idea is everything. They wanted to raise money for an organization that builds wells for people who do not have access to clean water. (Living Water International)

So, access to the musical was free- they just encouraged you to please donate to the cause that day.

My husband and I thought, “Cool- that would be a fun date!” And it was! Not only the talent, but also the hearts of everyone who participated blew us away. At the end of the show, they let the audience know that they had raised over $5,000 to build a well in Africa.

But how did they fund production of the show? Where did the props come from? The costumes?

Kickstarter is brilliant. It’s a place that people can go, share an idea, and gain support from people like you and me who want to see that “thing” happen. Kickstarter itself is not used for funding causes or raising money for charities. However, for an event like 24 Hour Musical where the intent is to raise money for a charity, they still needed funding to make the event actually happen. Funding for the production of the 24 Hour Musical came from regular people who wanted to see it happen- and Kickstarter was the mechanism through which they could donate.

You share your idea, you let people know what the plan is, and you set a financial goal. If, at the end of the time your idea is up for funding, you haven’t reached 100% of your goal, it doesn’t happen. This protects you and the people who put money into your project. As a donator, you also will receive rewards from the project leader for various dollar amounts you donate (higher the dollar amount, higher the reward).

Have you seen the Blue Like Jazz movie?

That was funded via Kickstarter. The goal amount? $125,000. How much they actually raised? $345,992. For donating just $10, you would have received a personal phone call from the director, Steve Taylor (Yes, THE Steve Taylor). :-)

When I had lunch with him last November, he said he was still making phone calls to people. (That’s a picture of me and a few of my coworkers with him at NYWC)

What has Kickstarter started? Actually, they didn’t start anything. They provided a platform that allows people like you and me to invest in what we get excited about- what we want to see become reality. It provides a framework for ideas to get the backing they need to become more than an idea. That’s pretty brilliant. When there is an idea, a will to see the idea come to life, and people who buy into your idea, it’s pretty incredible to watch what happens.

I’ve (Don Hampton) been doing a lot of research recently on what people see as the future of children’s ministry. Sure, everybody’s talking technology. No surprise there.

There’s a ton of great stuff out there – apps, media, online resources, gadgets – to help with even the most mundane issues we tackle on a day-to-day basis.

But the biggest issue we, as parents and educators, face is how we will fill the role of helping kids interpret what they see and do.

I love this quote from Matt Guevara:

“The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators in sense-making, coaching and credentialing.” (www.corycenter.org)

He is so right. Not only is technological change happening at an astronomical rate, it is not going to slow. And kids, by design, do not have the filters to adequately discern yet what is “best” or what is appropriate.

Here are four thoughts on how to help “make sense” for kids:

Watch with them. When you start by entering in with your kids, you better understand what attracts them to a particular show or app. My 15-year-old is completely enamored with “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” I watched with her and, honestly, it was lost on me. So I began to ask questions. “What about this show do you like?” The more I asked, the more I began to understand. That kind of guidance allows your kids not only to feel safe about their relationship with you, it gives them permission to have different tastes from yours. And, in the case of a child watching something that may not be appropriate, you can do a careful redirect through your questions and answers.

Talk with them about what “age appropriate” means. If there is content you’d rather not have them see, hear or interact with, it’s better not to just “lay down the law.” Use the opportunity to explain why. What is it about that content that isn’t okay? Get out your Bible and show them what God says.

“Let your yes be yes.” This one is hard for me. I have the tendency to not want to “squelch” my kids’ enthusiasm with too many rules. And, of course, the problem is my kids know it. So, making sure you are clear on what the rules are and why – not just in your own mind but in discussion with your kids – will save you all a lot of heartache. It’s okay to say things like, “We don’t watch movies with cursing” or “That app is not appropriate for someone your age.” Just be prepared for the discussion that follows and stick to your guns.

Pray. Can’t emphasize it enough. Pray not only for your children, but for this generation of kids. There is not only more amazing and beautiful technology and media out there than ever before, there is also more destructive stuff. All you have to do is watch primetime TV to see the commercials for horrific video games or watch some of the trailers for films aimed at kids that just look awful. Pray, pray, pray.

Thomas Edison, the great inventor, said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” So true, isn’t it? Anything worth doing requires effort, and that is part of the beauty of opportunity.

3) The digital landscape is full of opportunity for the family of God.

Did you know that the global Internet population grew 6.59 percent from 2010 to 2011? This means that 2.1 BILLION people are on the Internet!

As a follower of Jesus, I know that it is my joy to bear His name, to magnify Him, and to share with others what He did for me on the cross. The Internet provides us with an opportunity to create things that point to Jesus, to share His love and gift of redemption, to help us grow and develop, and to engage with each other no matter where we are. I’m consistently blessed and amazed by the way my brothers and sisters have created tools or resources that edify the body and share the Gospel (like the YouVersion Bible app, Yahero’s online world for kids, or my friend’s blog where she shares what God is teaching her). We have greater access than ever before to information, teaching and preaching, music, art, video, and communities that help us grow in our walk with Jesus- and it is all at our finger tips. What a gift!

So my question, as I look at this landscape that 2.1 billion people make use of, would be: what can you and I do with this opportunity?What can you and I create?What can you and I share?What ideas can you and I make happen to bless each other with?

With Father’s Day coming up, I (Don Hampton) thought this was timely. Today’s infographic on mashable.com actually suggests that increased digital usage by dads can make them more aware and, perhaps, better prepare them to “real world” parent their kids.

In the study (“Digital Dads Are Plugging In, Getting Social”), they found that “digital dads” are more likely than “average joes” to:

Be connected with their kids via social media AND keep an eye on their interactions on those sites

Track their kids’ web-browsing histories

Try to LIMIT the amount of time their kids are digitally connected

AND

Give their kids “digital timeouts” by sending them outside to play or bringing them someplace interesting.

So what does that mean? I think, at least to a certain extent, that we are exposed to so much (good and bad) via digital technology that we (digital dads) tend to be much more aware of the opportunities and dangers it poses.

We understand the temptations and we recognize the risks and, if we are guys who desire to be “good dads,” we want to help our kids make wise decisions while we prepare them for the world ahead of them.

According to Webster Dictionary, faithfulness is “steadfast in affection or allegiance.” Constant, dedicated, devoted, steady, true etc. All these are synonymous of that word.

I (Michayla) think our world craves these things. We desire steadfastness, truth, steadiness, and constancy in a shifting, unstable world. In our relationships, in our careers, in our families, in our churches, in our own spirits… we desire faithfulness.

Psalm 36:5 and Psalm 108:4 both say God’s faithfulness “reaches to the skies.” Such a beautiful picture for our finite minds, isn’t it? It has no end… it just goes on and on and on. And that is eternally comforting to His children- the ability to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that our Dad is constant, steady, true… forever faithful.

So when it comes to our work in ministry (whether we’re writing curriculum, creating an app, doing a load of laundry, or making dinner for the family), faithfulness is one of the greatest gifts we can offer to those we are serving and to those we work with.

Our world changes quickly. We see the change in technology, especially. All we need to do is take a look at where we were ten years ago (No iPhones? No iPads? No Facebook?) to see how far we have come. The change is good. Progress is important. So when it comes to the place where ministry and technology meet, we’re after progress but we are also after faithfulness. It’s about holding to the core (remaining faithful) while making necessary changes to keep moving forward instead of stagnating (being dedicated). It’s a good tension.

Faithfulness means that the main thing stays the main thing- not tossed about with every whim.

Change is good. It is necessary. Faithfulness, in the midst of it all, is vital.

I (D0n) read a lot. Guess that’s not really a confession coming from someone with a college degree in Literature. But nonetheless …

One magazine I really like is Neue. It touts itself as “The magazine for leaders shaping the future of the church.” Pretty tall order, if you ask me. Sometimes I think it falls short of that goal, but the Spring 2012 issue offers quite a bit of really interesting content. In particular, they asked “13 of today’s most influential pastors” to give advice to “emerging leaders” in the US church.

One thought that caught my eye is from Dr. George Wood, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God. He said, “We have greater access to information than any other generation. But information is not knowledge. What are you doing to ‘test the spirits’ (1 John 4:12) and practice discernment in the Google Age?”

And that’s been a point I’ve considered a lot over the past couple years. There is a wealth of information available extremely rapidly to everyone today, but we know that not every source is credible, not every piece of data is accurate. And, as much as we need to carefully guard our hearts and minds and “test the spirits,” how much more responsibility do we carry as people who work with kids?

I see it as a mandate that we take very seriously the call to teach children and teens discernment and critical thinking skills. How can they be identify the truth within an ocean of information unless they are given the tools to sift it out? Of course the Holy Spirit is our guide, but scripture does teach that we are to “test the spirits” – to use the discernment God has given to decide what is right.